12-8-2010
Todays adventure started with pulling into port. I had expected a bigger port but Barbados at Bridgeport is not a very big port, and actually we dock in the industrial off-load doc and have to walk way back to get out of the area.
“Cruise Ship dock, Barbados?
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“Barbados cruise dock.
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By the time we got off the ship there were 3 cruise liners tied off here. It was a slow start as Ethan had a reaction to something and needed to visit the doctor. Only an allergic reaction. We then got out stuff, lined out, and took off. By-passing the tour hawkers and cabs we went for the “bus station”.
“Barbados bus station a few blocks from the cruise ship dock”]
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“Bus station – actually runs on schedules”]
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These are not tour buses but the island transportation buses. Ryan and Brooke had figured out where they wanted to go, I was not so sure but we struck out alone anyway. At the same station Sean and Amy and Ethan took a different bus to the beach of choice to see the turtles. After a lot of confusion on our part we found the right bus and it started the journey up the island to the “Welchman Hall Gully”. I know it sounds like a joke but that is where we were headed. There was some conversation about a rum factory – which I had hoped we weren’t going to but being deaf I never really know what is going on – Just shut up and tag along.
The trip to the “gully” was a slow and arduous one. The buses and roads are not made for speed (going up hill) and the road is barely wide enough for the bus and a bike but they were running two lanes and fortunately none of us go smacked? As we kept getting farther and farther away from the dock it kept looking like we were going to be stuck out in nowhere with no way back and miss our boat leaving. I am not fond of trips to unknown places with out direction and then getting off the bus in nowhere and having to walk another ¼ mile to get to the entrance of the park that was not well-marked, but we made it.
and you can’t see it and there are very few signs to lead you. But the vegetation was very interesting for an old flat-lander. In the US we normally wouldn’t walk down a road that looked this Prosperous, can you remember “ Deliverance“ Actually Ryan had come to see the monkeys “Barbadian Green Monkey” but unfortunately we never saw one. We did marvel at the 51 identified plants in the gully bottom that is basically a special planted rain forest.
The numerous plants with flowers was amazing”]
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View from the top looking north on the island”]
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And giant African snails that are now an “undesirable”
The entrance started with a cave – you don’t enter through it but it is right at the entrance to the side.”
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See their still happy! or just glad we found it?”]
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“The trees were amazing”
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“Coconut palms a 100 ft. tall and not peaking out of the gully at this point.”]
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“reaching near the end of improved path”]
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“Bark off a tree that shows the huge thorns (1 inch long or more). Bet you don’t climb the one!”
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The Gully and how it was formed, not the snail on the sign. they are “invasive” African snails and the Govt pays 50 cents a pound for them.”
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“This is a broken off Stalactite – growing from the overhang in the gully.”]
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Here is another of the snails we saw on the trail:
“Huge African snail “invasive” to the island and the government pays 50 cents per pound for them.”]
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We came out of this preserve and fortunately the lady at the entrance had said to just go up the road a way to catch the bus back to town. It was not too long and a bus came by, we got on and the trip down hill was a lot faster than the one going up. About the edge of town we stopped and picked up “standing room only” school kids all dressed in uniform – sorry I didn’t get a picture as I didn’t want to offend any of them.
Back at the dock area we started walking back to the boat and saw some really neat souvenirs being made by a guy on the sidewalk. They weren’t too expensive and seeing that they were local, and he was making them right there we got a few. Pretty cool yarn on rope and wire men representing Barbados. The “artist” name is Michael and if your ever in Barbados he will be set up on the shore line way outside the taxi area as your walking into town or to the bus station. Here we are with Michael and some of his creations in the background.
“Michael and his creations”]
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We also got a shot of us on the pier at the back of the boat.
“Back at the ship, and ready to set sail again.”]
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I’m not too good at those self shots but it came out ok, got both heads and some of the boat, just not all the name.
After this we made it to the room, I went and signed up for excursions on the next three stops, and made sure we had the assigned credit on our account and rested up before the others came back. Good thing too as it cut loose and rained a downpour just after we got back.
The ship pulled out at a little after 5pm and it is great to be on the ship and watching those get back on – late. We watched several that had sampled a bit too much of the rum and one almost had to be “poured” back on the ship.
The ship pulling out on time – whether you got back or not.
The harbor master boat”
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Clearing the port entrance”]
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The ships control room from our balcony – it sticks out on both sides”]
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“As we leave a rainbow forms over Barbados”]
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“The rainbow got better but my pictures did not…”]
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After the show of people coming back we got ready and headed off to dinner. Tonight was better than last night. It is a fact to us that you need to go early to get better food, as it gets cold and not as good the later in the evening it gets.
You can also say that the staff on this cruise tries extremely hard to keep the people happy. They do way more than most service organizations, even if sometimes the food it not great or they make mistakes they always apologize and go the extra mile to make up for it.
Since this was Ryan and Brooke’s anniversary they had signed in for the Chefs table meal. It also turned out he was from India and they love that food so he also made them a special meal the next night as well but here they are at the Chef’s table.
Getting pictures with the head chef and others for the meal”]
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” caption=”Brooke saw us standing outside.”]
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After Dinner Ethan wanted to attend the Towel folding for kids, mostly cause we have gotten 3 great examples of what can be done and this was waiting on us tonight.
“The “bulldog” for the creation of the night.”]
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So tomorrow we have more things to do and it appears we will all go different directions.